Draft device.



0. A. MYERS.

DRAFT DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 20, 1913.

1,092,077. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

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TED STATES PATENT" @FFTCE.

CHARLES A. MYERS, OF SOUTH GREENFIELD, MISSOURI.

DRAFT DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Greenfield, in the county of Dade and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Draft Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved draft device here shown as a whiffletree provided at the ends with improved means for attaching and releasing the traces and at the cen ter with improved means for attaching the whiflletree to a doubletree or to the cross bar of a pair of thills or to anything or vehicle to be drawn by the whiflletree, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view, from the rear side, of a whiflietree constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail central transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 1 is a detail transverse sectional view of the same at a point near one end thereof.

The whiffietree 1 is U-shaped in cross section so that a channel 2 is formed in its rear side which extends from end to end thereof. The whiflietree is, in practice, made preferably of plate iron, or steel, bent to form a channel bar. The front side of the whittletree is straight, its rear side is angular longitudinally, the width of the whittletree be ing greatest at its center and least at its ends.

In the center of the whiffietree, in the channel thereof, is fitted a filler and brace block 3, the upper and lower webs or walls of the whifHetree being secured to the block as by means of rivets or bolts 1 which pass through the webs of the whitlletree and also through the block.

An eye bolt 5 has its shank passed through cent-er alined openings in the front side of the whitlletree and the block 3, the eye 6 of the bolt being at the rear end and a nut 7 being threaded on the front end of the bolt and bearing against the front side of the whifiletree. This eye bolt forms a means for attaching the whiflietree to the vehicle or other object to be drawn and also assists in securing the block 3 in the whifiietree and in bracing and strengthening the construction Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 20, 1913.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Serial No. 768,782.

of the whitfletree in coaction with the said block.

In each end of the channel of the whifiietree is a filler, guide, and attaching block 8 which is secured in place by rivets or bolts 9 which pass through the webs of the whittletree and also through the said blocks. These blocks are provided in their outer sides, near their outer ends with vertical transverse recesses 10 which are sufiiciently large to receive the rear ends of traces and the Whittletree is also provided with similar recesses 11 with which the recesses 10 coincide. Each block 8 has a longitudinal bore 12, the outer end portion 13 of which is of greater diameter than the inner end portion 14.

An attaching bolt 15 is fitted for longitudinal movement in the larger portion 13 of each bore 12 and has a reduced stem 16 fitted for longitudinal movement in the smaller portion 14; of each bore. On the stem of each bolt is a coiledextensile spring 17 which bears against the shoulder formed at the inner end of the enlarged portion of the bolt and also against the inner end of the enlarged portion of the bore, the said springs acting to move the said bolts outwardly so as to cause said bolts to be projected and normally held in position across the recesses 10 which receive the rear ends of the traces, the bolts being adapted to pass through the openings or cockeyes at the ends of the traces and, hence, serving to securely and yet detachably connectthe traces to the ends of the whifi'letree. Each block 8 also has a longitudinal horizontal slot 18, in which operates a pin 19. The said pins are attached to the bolts 15 and are here shown as passing through openings with which the said bolts are provided. The pins project rearwardly from the blocks and, hence, serve to enable the attaching bolts 15 to be readily moved inwardly against the tension of the spring 17 when it is desired to release the traces. The said pins also, by coacting with the outer ends of the slots 18 limit the outward or locking movement of the bolts under the action of the spring 17. It will be observed that the blocks 8 in which the locking bolts, their actuating springs and operating pins are mounted are entirely contained in the ends of the channel of the whiffietree so that there are no parts project-ing. The blocks 8 in addition to forming the guides and housings for the attaching bolts and their operating springs and pins also form fillers for the ends of the Whiflletree and serve to greatly strengthen the construction of the Whilfletrees. It will be understood that the locking bolts are not liable to become causally detached from the traces and, hence, there is no danger of the traces becoming disconnected casually from the whiflietree ends.

I claim v A draft device of the class described having a longitudinal channel in its rear side extending from end to end thereof and provided near its ends in its front side With recesses, filler blocks secured in the ends of the channel and having bolts Wholly carried by and mounted for movement in the filler blocks and across the said recesses to engage and disengage the rear ends of traces placed in said recesses, springs to normally hold the attaching bolts in engaging position, the said springs being also mounted in and Wholly carried by the filler blocks and operating pins for the attaching bolts movable there With and also mounted for movement in the filler blocks, said pins being secured to and CHARLES A. V MYERS,

Witnesses:

J. H. FUGUE, D. G. Hammer Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

